Sketches of Jewish Social Life

by Alfred Edersheim
1876

Chapter 17
The Worship of the Synagogue

One of the most difficult questions in Jewish history is that connected with the
existence of a synagogue within the Temple. That such a "synagogue" existed, and
that its meeting-place was in "the hall of hewn stones," at the south-eastern
angle of the court of the priest, cannot be called in question, in face of the clear
testimony of contemporary witnesses. Considering that "the hall of hew stones"
was also the meeting-place for the great Sanhedrim, and that not only legal decisions, but
lectures and theological discussions formed part of their occupation, we might be tempted
to conjecture that the term "synagogue" had been employed in its wider sense,
since such buildings were generally used throughout the country for this two-fold purpose
as well as for worship. Of theological lectures and discussions in the Temple, we have an
instance on the occasion when our Lord was found by His parents "sitting in the midst
of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions" (Luke 2:46). And it can
scarcely be doubted, that this also explains how the scribes and Pharisees could so
frequently "come upon Him," while He taught in the Temple, with their difficult
and entangling questions, up to that rejoinder about the nature of the Messiah, with which
He finally silenced them: "If David then call Him Lord, how is He his Son?"
(Matt 22:45). But in reference to the so-called "Temple-synagogue," there is
this difficulty, that certain prayers and rites seem to have been connected with it, which
formed no part of the regular Temple services, and yet were somehow engrafted upon them.
We can therefore only conclude that the growing change in the theological views of Israel,
before and about the time of Christ, made the Temple services alone appear insufficient.
The symbolical and typical elements which constituted the life and centre of Temple
worship had lost their spiritual meaning and attraction to the majority of that
generation, and their place was becoming occupied by so-called teaching and outward
performances. Thus the worship of the letter took the place of that of the spirit, and
Israel was preparing to reject Christ for Pharisaism. The synagogue was substituted for
the Temple, and overshadowed it, even within its walls, by an incongruous mixture of
man-devised worship with the God-ordained typical rites of the sanctuary. Thus, so far
from the "Temple-synagogue" being the model for those throughout the country, as
some writers maintain, it seems to us of later origin, and to have borrowed many rites
from the country synagogues, in which the people had become accustomed to them.

The subject has a far deeper than merely historical interest. For the presence of a
synagogue within the Temple, or rather, as we prefer to put it, the addition of
synagogue-worship to that of the Temple, is sadly symbolical. It is, so to speak, one of
those terribly significant utterances (by deed), in which Israel, all unconsciously,
pronounced its own doom, just as was this: "His blood be upon us and our
children," or the cry for the release of Barabbas (the son of the father), who had
been condemned "for sedition" and "murder"— doubt in connection
with a pseudo-Messianic rising against the Roman power— of the true Son of the
Father, who would indeed have "restored the kingdom to Israel." And yet there
was nothing in the worship itself of the synagogue which could have prevented either the
Lord, or His apostles and early followers, from attending it till the time of final
separation had come. Readers of the New Testament know what precious opportunities it
offered for making known the Gospel. Its services were, indeed, singularly elastic. For
the main object of the synagogue was the teaching of the people. The very idea of its
institution, before and at the time of Ezra, explains and conveys this, and it is
confirmed by the testimony of Josephus (Ag. Apion, ii, 157-172). But perhaps the ordinary
reader of the New Testament may have failed to notice, how prominently this element in the
synagogue is brought out in the gospel history. Yet the word "teaching" is used
so frequently in connection with our Lord's appearance in the synagogue, that its lesson
is obvious (see Matt 4:23; Mark 1:21, 6:2; Luke 4:15, 6:6, 13:10; John 6:59, 18:20). The
"teaching" part of the service consisted mainly in reading a section from the
law, with which the reading of a portion from the prophets, and a sermon, or address, were
conjoined. Of course, the liturgical element could in such services never have been quite
wanting, and it soon acquired considerable importance. It consisted of prayer and the
pronouncing of the Aaronic blessing (Num 6:24-26) by priests— is, of course, not by
Rabbis, who were merely teachers or doctors, but by lineal descendants of the house of
Aaron. There was no service of "praise" in the synagogues.

Public worship * commenced on ordinary occasions with the so-called "Shema,"
which was preceded in the morning and evening by two "benedictions," and
succeeded in the morning by one, and in the evening by two, benedictions; the second
being, strictly speaking, an evening prayer.

* Our description here applies to the worship of
the ancient, not of the modern synagogue; and we have thought it best to confine
ourselves to the testimony of the Mishnah, so as to avoid the danger of bringing in
practices of a later date.

The "Shema" was a kind of "belief," or "creed," composed
of these three passages of Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:4-9, 11:13-21; Numbers 15:37-41. It
obtained its name from the initial word "shema": "Hear, O Israel," in
Deuteronomy 6:4. From the Mishnah (Ber. 1. 3) we learn, that this part of the service
existed already before the time of our Lord; and we are told (Ber. iii. 3), that all males
were bound to repeat this belief twice every day; children and slaves, as well as women,
being exempted from the obligation. There can be no reasonable doubt on the subject, as
the Mishnah expressly mentions the three Scriptural sections of the "Shema," the
number of benedictions before and after it, and even the initial words of the closing
benediction (Ber. ii. 2, i. 4; Tamid, v. 1). We have, therefore, here certain prayers
which our Lord Himself had not only heard, but in which He must have shared— what
extent will appear in the sequel. These prayers still exist in the synagogue, although
with later additions, which, happily, it is not difficult to eliminate. Before
transcribing them, it may be quoted as a mark of the value attached to them, that it was
lawful to say this and the other daily prayers— which we shall hereafter refer— the
"grace at meat," not only in the Hebrew, but in any other language, in order to
secure a general understanding of the service (Sotah, vii. 1). At the same time,
expressions are used which lead us to suppose that, while the liturgical formulae
connected with the "Shema" were fixed, there were local variations, in the way
of lengthening or shortening (Ber. i. 4). The following are the "benedictions"
before the "Shema," in their original form:

1. "Blessed be Thou, O Lord, King of the world, Who formest the light and createst
the darkness, Who makest peace and createst everything; Who, in mercy, givest light to the
earth and to those who dwell upon it, and in Thy goodness day by day and every day
renewest the works of creation. Blessed be the Lord our God for the glory of His handiwork
and for the light-giving lights which He has made for His praise. Selah! Blessed be the
Lord our God, Who hath formed the lights." *

* This "benediction," while
acknowledging the Creator, has such frequent reference to God in connection with the
"lights," that it reads like a confession of Israel against the idolatries of
Babylon. This circumstance may help to fix the time of its origination.

2. "With great love hast Thou loved us, O Lord our God, and with much overflowing
pity hast Thou pitied us, our Father and our King. For the sake of our fathers who trusted
in Thee, and Thou taughtest them the statutes of life, have mercy upon us and teach us.
Enlighten our eyes in Thy law; cause our hearts to cleave to Thy commandments; unite our
hearts to love and fear Thy name, and we shall not be put to shame, world without end. For
Thou art a God Who preparest salvation, and us hast Thou chosen from among all nations and
tongues, and hast in truth brought us near to Thy great Name—— we may lovingly
praise Thee and Thy Oneness. Blessed be the Lord Who in love chose His people
Israel."

After this followed the "Shema." The Mishnah gives the following beautiful
explanation of the order in which the portions of Scripture of which it is composed are
arranged (Ber. ii. 2). The section Deuteronomy 6:4-9 is said to precede that in 11:13-21,
so that we might "take upon ourselves the yoke of the kingdom of heaven, and only
after that the yoke of the commandments." Again: Deuteronomy 11:13-21 precedes
Numbers 15:37-41, because the former applies, as it were, both night and day; the latter
only by day. The reader cannot fail to observe the light cast by the teaching of the
Mishnah upon the gracious invitation of our Lord: "Come unto Me, all ye that labour
and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for
I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy,
and My burden is light" (Matt 11:28-30). These words must indeed have had a special
significance to those who remembered the Rabbinic lesson as to the relation between the
kingdom of heaven and the commandments, and they would now understand how by coming to the
Saviour they would first take upon them "the yoke of the kingdom of heaven," and
then that of "the commandments," finding this "yoke easy" and the
"burden light."

The prayer after the "Shema" was as follows: *

* In the form here given it is older than even
the prayer referred to in the Mishnah (Ber. ii. 2).

"True it is, that Thou art Jehovah our God and the God of our fathers, our King
and the King of our fathers, our Saviour and the Saviour of our fathers, our Creator, the
Rock of our salvation, our Help and our Deliverer. Thy Name is from everlasting, and there
is no God beside Thee. A new song did they that were delivered sing to Thy Name by the
seashore; together did all praise and own Thee King, and say, Jehovah shall reign world
without end! Blessed be the Lord Who saveth Israel!"

The anti-Sadducean views expressed in this prayer will strike the student of that
period, while he will also be much impressed with its suitableness and beauty. The special
prayer for the evening is of not quite so old a date as the three just quoted. But as it
is referred to in the Mishnah, and is so apt and simple, we reproduce it, as follows:

"O Lord our God! cause us to lie down in peace, and raise us up again to life, O
our King! Spread over us the tabernacle of Thy peace; strengthen us before Thee in Thy
good counsel, and deliver us for Thy Name's sake. Be Thou for protection round about us;
keep far from us the enemy, the pestilence, the sword, famine, and affliction. Keep Satan
from before and from behind us, and hide us in the shadow of Thy wings, for Thou art a God
Who helpest and deliverest us; and Thou, O God, art a gracious and merciful King. Keep
Thou our going out and our coming in, for life and for peace, from henceforth and for
ever!" (To this prayer a further addition was made at a later period.)

The "Shema" and its accompanying "benedictions" seem to have been
said in the synagogue at the lectern; whereas for the next series of prayers the leader of
the devotions went forward and stood before "the ark." Hence the expression,
"to go up before the ark," for leading in prayer. This difference in position
seems implied in many passages of the Mishnah (specially Megillah, iv.), which makes a
distinction between saying the "Shema" and "going up before the ark."
The prayers offered before the ark consisted of the so-called eighteen eulogies, or
benedictions, and formed the "tephillah," or supplication, in the strictest
sense of the term. These eighteen, or rather, as they are now, nineteen, eulogies are of
various dates— earliest being the first three and the last three. There can be no
reasonable doubt that these were said at worship in the synagogues, when our Lord was
present. Next in date are eulogies 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, and 16. Eulogy 7, which in its present
position seems somewhat incongruous, dates from a period of great national
calamity— the time of Pompey. The other eulogies, and some insertions in the older
benedictions, were added after the fall of the Jewish commonwealth— 12 especially
being intended against the early Jewish converts to Christianity. In all likelihood it had
been the practice originally to insert prayers of private composition between the
(present) first three and last three eulogies; and out of these the later eulogies were
gradually formulated. At any rate, we know that on Sabbaths and on other festive occasions
only the first three and the last three eulogies were repeated, other petitions being
inserted between them. There was thus room for the endless repetitions and "long
prayers" which the Saviour condemned (Mark 12:40; Luke 20:47). Besides, it must be
borne in mind that, both on entering and leaving the synagogue, it was customary to offer
prayer, and that it was a current Rabbinical saying, "Prolix prayer prolongeth
life." But as we are sure that, on the Sabbaths when Our Lord attended the synagogues
at Nazareth and Capernaum, the first three and the last three of the eulogies were
repeated, we produce them here, as follows:

1. "Blessed be the Lord our God and the God of our fathers, the God of Abraham,
the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; the great, the mighty, and the terrible God; the
Most High God, Who showeth mercy and kindness, Who createth all things, Who remembereth
the gracious promises to the fathers, and bringeth a Saviour to their children's children,
for His own Name's sake, in love. O King, Helper, Saviour, and Shield! Blessed art Thou, O
Jehovah, the Shield of Abraham."

2. "Thou, O Lord, art mighty for ever; Thou, Who quickenest the dead, art mighty
to save. In Thy mercy Thou preservest the living; Thou quickenest the dead; in Thine
abundant pity Thou bearest up those who fall, and healest those who are diseased, and
loosest those who are bound, and fulfillest Thy faithful word to those who sleep in the
dust. Who is like unto Thee, Lord of strength, and who can be compared to Thee, Who
killest and makest alive, and causest salvation to spring forth? And faithful art Thou to
give life unto the dead. Blessed be Thou, Jehovah, Who quickenest the dead!"

It is impossible not to feel the solemnity of these prayers. They breathe the deepest
hopes of Israel in simple, Scriptural language. But who can fully realise their sacred
import as uttered not only in the Presence, but by the very lips of the Lord Jesus Christ,
Who Himself was their answer?

The three concluding eulogies were as follows:

17. "Take gracious pleasure, O Jehovah our God, in Thy people Israel, and in their
prayers. Accept the burnt-offerings of Israel, and their prayers, with thy good pleasure;
and may the services of Thy people Israel be ever acceptable unto Thee. And oh that our
eyes may see it, as Thou turnest in mercy to Zion! Blessed be Thou, O Jehovah, Who
restoreth His Shechinah to Zion!"

18. "We praise Thee, because Thou art Jehovah our God, and the God of our fathers,
for ever and ever. Thou art the Rock of our life, the Shield of our salvation, from
generation to generation. We laud Thee, and declare Thy praise for our lives which are
kept within Thine hand, and for our souls which are committed unto Thee, and for Thy
wonders which are with us every day, and Thy wondrous deeds and Thy goodnesses, which are
at all seasons—, morning, and mid-day. Thou gracious One, Whose compassions never
end; Thou pitying One, Whose grace never ceaseth— ever do we put our trust in Thee!
And for all this Thy Name, O our King, be blessed and extolled always, for ever and ever!
And all living bless Thee—— praise Thy Name in truth, O God, our Salvation and
our Help. Blessed art Thou, Jehovah; Thy Name is the gracious One, to Whom praise is
due."

19. (We give this eulogy in its shorter form, as it is at present used in evening
prayer.) "Oh bestow on Thy people Israel great peace, for ever; for Thou art King and
Lord of all peace, and it is good in Thine eyes to bless Thy people Israel with praise at
all times and in every hour. Blessed art Thou, Jehovah, Who blesseth His people Israel
with peace."

Another act, hitherto, so far as we know, unnoticed, requires here to be mentioned. It
invests the prayers just quoted with a new and almost unparalleled interest. According to
the Mishnah (Megillah, iv. 5), the person who read in the synagogue the portion from the
prophets was also expected to say the "Shema," and to offer the prayers which
have just been quoted. It follows that, in all likelihood, our Lord Himself had led the
devotions in the synagogue of Capernaum on that Sabbath when He read the portion from the
prophecies of Isaiah which was that day "fulfilled in their hearing" (Luke
4:16-21). Nor is it possible to withstand the impression, how specially suitable to the
occasion would have been the words of these prayers, particularly those of eulogies 2 and
17.

The prayers were conducted or repeated aloud by one individual, specially deputed for
the occasion, the congregation responding by an "Amen." The liturgical service
concluded with the priestly benediction (Num 6:23,24), spoken by the descendants of Aaron.
In case none such were present, "the legate of the Church," as the leader of the
devotions was called, repeated the words from the Scriptures in their connection. In
giving the benediction, the priests elevated their hands up to the shoulders (Sotah, vii.
6); in the Temple, up to the forehead. Hence this rite is designated by the expression,
"the lifting up of the hands." *

* The apostle may have had this in his mind when,
in directing the order of public ministration, he spoke of "the men...lifting up holy
hands, without wrath or doubting" (1 Tim 2:8). At any rate, the expression is
precisely the same as that used by the Rabbis.

According to the present practice, the fingers of the two hands are so joined together
and separated as to form five interstices; and a mystic meaning attaches to this. It was a
later superstition to forbid looking at the priests' hands, as involving physical danger.
But the Mishnah already directs that priests having blemishes on their hands, or their
fingers dyed, were not to pronounce the benediction, lest the attention of the people
should be attracted. Of the attitude to be observed in prayer, this is perhaps scarcely
the place to speak in detail. Suffice it, that the body was to be fully bent, yet so, that
care was taken never to make it appear as if the service had been burdensome. One of the
Rabbis tells us, that, with this object in view, he bent down as does a branch; while, in
lifting himself up again, he did it like a serpent— with the head! Any one
deputed by the rulers of a congregation might say prayers, except a minor. This, however,
applies only to the "Shema." The eulogies or "tephillah" proper, as
well as the priestly benediction, could not be pronounced by those who were not properly
clothed, nor by those who were so blind as not to be able to discern daylight. If any one
introduced into the prayers heretical views, or what were regarded as such, he was
immediately stopped; and, if any impropriety had been committed, was put under the ban for
a week. One of the most interesting and difficult questions relates to certain modes of
dress and appearance, and certain expressions used in prayer, which the Mishnah (Megillah,
iv. 8,9) declares either to mark heresy or to indicate that a man was not to be allowed to
lead prayers in the synagogue. It may be, that some of these statements refer not only to
certain Jewish "heretics," but also to the early Jewish Christians. If so, they
may indicate certain peculiarities with which they were popularly credited.

Of the services hitherto noticed, the most important were the repetition of the
eulogies and the priestly benediction. What now followed was regarded as quite as solemn,
if, indeed, not more so. It has already been pointed out, that the main object of the
synagogue was the teaching of the people. This was specially accomplished by the reading
of the law. At present the Pentateuch is for this purpose arranged into fifty-four
sections, of which one is read on each successive Sabbath of the year, beginning
immediately after the feast of Tabernacles. But anciently the lectionary, at least in
Palestine, seems to have been differently arranged, and the Pentateuch so divided that its
reading occupied three, or, according to some, three and a-half years (half a
Jubilee-period). The section for the day was subdivided, so that every Sabbath at least
seven persons were called up to read, each a portion, which was to consist of not less
than three verses. The first reader began, and the last closed, with a benediction. As the
Hebrew had given place to the Aramaic, a "meturgeman," or interpreter, stood by
the side of the reader, and translated verse by verse into the vernacular. It was
customary to have service in the synagogues, not only on Sabbaths and feast-days, but also
on the second and fifth days of the week (Monday and Thursday), when the country-people
came to market, and when the local Sanhedrim also sat for the adjudication of minor
causes. At such week-day services only three persons were called up to read in the law; on
new moon's day and on the intermediate days of a festive week, four; on festive days—
a section from the prophets was also read— and on the day of atonement, six. Even a
minor was allowed to read, and, if qualified, to act as "meturgeman." The
section describing the sin of Reuben, and that giving a second account of the sin of the
golden calf, were read, but not interpreted; those recounting the priestly blessing, and,
again, the sin of David and of Amnon, were neither read nor interpreted. The reading of
the law was followed by a lesson from the prophets. At present there is a regular
lectionary, in which these lessons are so selected as to suit the sections from the law
appointed for the day. This arrangement has been traced to the time of the Syrian
persecutions, when all copies of the law were sought for and destroyed; and the Jewish
authorities are supposed to have selected portions from the prophets to replace those from
the law which might not be produced in public. But it is evident that, if these
persecuting measures had been rigidly enforced, the sacred rolls of the prophets would not
have escaped destruction any more than those of the law. Besides, it is quite certain that
such a lectionary of the prophets as that presently in use did not exist at the time of
our Lord, nor even when the Mishnah was collated. Considerable liberty seems to have been
left to individuals; and the expression used by St. Luke in reference to our Lord in the
synagogue at Capernaum (Luke 4:17), "And when He had opened the book, He found the
place where it was written," most accurately describes the state of matters. For,
from Megillah iv. 4, we gather that, in reading from the prophets, it was lawful to pass
over one or more verses, provided there were no pause between the reading and the
translation of the "meturgeman." For here also the services of a
"meturgeman" were employed; only that he did not, as in reading the law,
translate verse by verse, but after every three verses. It is a remarkable fact that the
Rabbis exclude from public reading the section in the prophecies of Ezekiel which
describes "the chariot and wheels." Rabbi Elieser would also have excluded that
in Ezekiel 16:2.

The reading of the prophets was often followed by a sermon or address, with which the
service concluded. The preacher was called "darshan," and his address a
"derashah" (homily, sermon, from "darash," to ask, inquire, or
discuss). When the address was a learned theological discussion— in
academies— was not delivered to the people directly, but whispered into the ear of an
"amora," or speaker, who explained to the multitude in popular language the
weighty sayings which the Rabbi had briefly communicated to him. A more popular sermon, on
the other hand, was called a "meamar," literally, a "speech, or talk."
These addresses would be either Rabbinical expositions of Scripture, or else doctrinal
discussions, in which appeal would be made to tradition and to the authority of certain
great teachers. For it was laid down as a principle (Eduj. i. 3), that "every one is
bound to teach in the very language of his teacher." In view of this two-fold fact,
we can in some measure understand the deep impression which the words of our Lord
produced, even on those who remained permanently uninfluenced by them. The substance of
His addresses was far other than they had ever heard of, or conceived possible. It seemed
as if they opened quite a new world of thought, hope, duty, and comfort. No wonder that
even in contemptuous Capernaum "all bare Him witness, and wondered at the gracious
words which proceeded out of His mouth"; and that the very Temple-guard sent to make
Him prisoner were overawed, and before the council could only give this account of their
strange negligence: "Never man spake like this man" (John 7:46). Similarly, the
form also of His teaching was so different from the constant appeal of the Rabbis to mere
tradition; it seemed all to come so quite fresh and direct from heaven, like the living
waters of the Holy Spirit, that "the people were astonished at His doctrine: for He
taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes" (Matt 7:28,29).